Conventionally, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses an internal combustion engine having a variable valve operating mechanism (valve stop mechanism) that can maintain at least one of an intake valve and an exhaust valve thereof in a valve closed state. This conventional internal combustion engine is configured to control the variable valve operating mechanism such that at least one of the intake valve and the exhaust valve is kept in a valve closed state when fuel cut is performed under the condition that the temperature of an exhaust gas purifying catalyst disposed in an exhaust gas passage is not lower than a predetermined temperature. This configuration intends to suppress the degradation of the exhaust gas purifying catalyst by preventing oxygen-rich gas from being supplied to the exhaust gas purifying catalyst in a high temperature state.
It is noted that the applicant of the present invention recognizes the following literatures including the above described literature as the related art of the present invention.